About Me

For 33 years, up until November 20 2015, I was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Now I’m not. Sadness. Before that, I worked as a magazine editor in Los Angeles and Chicago as well as San Francisco. I also wrote a bunch of articles for ever so many magazines, from the well-known (Rolling Stone, New York) and some not so (American Capitalist, Business 2.0). I have one wife and two adult daughters and two grandkids and one cat and a home in Oakland. I’m on Facebook and Twitter (@jonrcarroll). I don’t eat as many salads as I should. I enjoy Thanksgiving and reality television; I think the United States should get out of the Middle East immediately and completely. I’ve learned a lot about life; most of it seems to be cliches.

I’m asking you Jon, about the Great Horned Owl. I love owls. And I’m quite crazy about you and so glad you are blogging so I don’t go completely into withdrawal not being able to read your column in the Chronicle almost every day. Please keep blogging and wranting and Merry, Merry Christmas!

Nice to see the twitter version of your thoughts, but I would enjoy something more long-form. Well, not that long — about 3X the size of your old column, as a relatively frequent update. But long enough to appreciate your facility with the English language. (And, yeah, Leah Garchik is *lost* without you as a pagemate — I hope for her sake (and my own, really) they find someone almost as good as you were).

Thanks for the “Return of Jon.” I am not fond of cats, so I’ll have to skip a lot. Your thoughts about religion are always interesting to this radical left wing Christian. Your reflections on politic are my favorites. I am so glad you can say fuck and bullshit. Saves circumlocutions.

I too was raised Christian and abandoned practice in my teen years. I didn’t see the point and I knew better anyway. Later on though, a string of unexplained occurrences happened that gave me pause that there was indeed something bigger than us humans. I know some will just say it was gas….but for me I began reaching back for the practices of my youthful Christian upbringing and a new non-political view of God and religion. If you ignore all the rants and rules, you end up with “Love God”, “Love your neighbor”. That’s so hard I don’t think I’ll live long enough get to the rest of the popular rules enacted by religious hierarchies over past few thousand years. I like the new Pope though. He seems to be a dedicated follower of the two aforementioned commandments. Life is hard if you stop worrying about stuff and power and it can cause you to think about bigger stuff. If I try to do it too long, I really do get a headache, but I think it’s useful and hope to eventually enter my post-consumerism phase.

I predict that this will actually be at least as much fun as your old column once you get used to it. Think of it….as long as you want, you can say what you want, illustrate it heavily if you wish, include links to important things. You are the driver in this vehicle of communication, enjoy!

Hey, Jon, great to see your new home on the web. Back in the day, I feared you could never take the place of the hallowed Charles McCabe. But years later and even after moving away from the Bay, I found myself subbing to the Chron just to keep up with your latest thoughts. Thanks for all you’ve done, and here’s hoping you have a lovely retirement. And, of course, that you keep writing when the spirit moves you!

Love your writing so much. I was just talking to my intern about her christmas time as a child. “In Japan we dont celebrate Christmas. We are Buddhist. But we are captialist so we give gifts. Most popular Christmas dinner is fried chicken. KFC is possible.”.

I finally got around to asking Google for help translating “Jon Carroll Prose,” and found that “prose” is also “pro se,” legalese for “(appearing) for oneself.” Haha, Jon, and carry on. Keeping an eye on your irreplacement in the Chron.

I will find Book of Ages — thank you for the review! I think you’d be interested in Deep South by Paul Theroux, which I’m reading now — filled with thoughtful takes on Southern writers and the state of the rural South today. I don’t, however, approve of Theroux’s going into book stores in poverty stricken towns pretending to be interested in buying a gun but really aiming to get some quotes for his book, and then not buying a gun, after all. Unconscionable.
Thank you for continuing to write!

ah the comments section-great job Jon-yr writing is rhythmic clever and classy-not at all depressing which is certainly the case with most writers-carry on, please and remember-the sports page is the best section because half of the info is about winners. wlion

We recently decided to stop watching the local news, when some stupid chick asked someone “How did you feel when….” It’s Al Jazeera, for as long as they’re here, and Rachael Maddow, from now on. I have a fantasy where I respond to “how did you feel….” live, on air, and tell the interviewer how I feel about him/her asking that question. But they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, use that on the air.

Just found this blog…every day when there is some event like the Super Bowl or Bernie Sanders doing well, I keep thinking where is the Jon Carroll column that would put it in perspective…the Chronicle seems to have stopped being the Chronicle when you left…the remaining columnists are definitely more Examiner than Chronicle…

So the big question I have, is there an explanation of what really happened? Why such a sudden departure and why wasn’t there an opportunity for the readers/subscription-paying people to weigh in? I still won’t give money to KQED because I read an article that they were complicit in the sacking of Bob Edwards (and how come they haven’t reconciled with him by now and given him a 1/2 hour on Saturday morning or something)? Should I cancel my subscription to the Chron?

Anyway, so great to have found this and now how can it be that it took someone like me so long to find it when I was a religious reader of your column? Where’s the alternative press to publicize it? No Bay Guardian anymore either….

I was just explaining what mondegreens are to my partner (who had never heard of them and needed to be edumacated immediately) and then I got to wondering where you were. I’m so glad to have found your blog! Happy dance!! Also, hooray for Tracy’s photos!

Jon,
Through a friend, I have become aware of your blog and a hole in my life has been filled! All the columns I loved and meant to tell you but I didn’t; better late than never! We are of the same vintage and I have been reading columns across the country and across time. You are the very best. Now I look forward to catching up from last November until today. Keep up the great work!
Fred

John Schwartz’s mention of your “column” caught my eye and made my day. I’ve missed your social commentary, which so often took the stink away from the bullshit dumped elsewhere, on-line, on the air, and in print. — Richard Evans